Norton Cybercrime Index Launched by Symantec

Norton Cybercrime Index Launched by Symantec

The NCI (let's acronym it, sounds even more high-powered then) provides consumers around the globe with an at-a-glance warning system of current online security threats.

It lists elements such as the day's most dangerous websites, top current scams, incidents of identity theft, spam, and indeed the most-hijacked search terms cyber-criminals are preying on.

The crux of the NCI is a single daily number or threat rating which is calculated based on data from three sources: The Symantec Global Intelligence Network, along with data from consumer risk management firm ID Analytics, and DataLossDB, a research project from the Open Security Foundation.

This single number answers the question: "What's your online risk today?" It also shows whether that risk is up or down since yesterday, or last week, much like a stock index, but one trading in viruses and phishing sites.

If the NCI rating is down, you can make the decision to breath easy and open your browser. If it's sky-high, you can uninstall your browser, cover your computer in tin foil, and hide under a table for the rest of the day.

More seriously, if it's high you can look at the main highlighted risks, and avoid using those sites, search terms and so forth.

Adam Palmer, Norton Lead Cyber-security Advisor, commented: "Most of us go online daily to work, play, and socialize, and yet it's one of the most dangerous activities we engage in, because there are so many threats lurking online."

"Norton fights cyber-crime in a number of ways, including through education. Our goal is to have people add the Norton Cybercrime Index to their daily routine to get a clear understanding of the dangers that are threatening them online, and to take preventative action to avoid falling victim."

The Norton Cybercrime Index page is here. Today's rating is 82, up 8 per cent from yesterday, with a breezy cold identify theft front coming in from the east, and chances of scattered online payment scams.